Ironing table cover



G; W. LEWl Nov. 1, 1 932.

' IRONING TABLE COVER Filed Oct. 21, 1931 LI; ii lllllllllllai INVENTOR.

65am: 'MLEw/s WK M TTORNEYS.

Patented Nov. 1, 1932 Ass PATENT GEORGE W. LEWIS, on BERLIN, MAssaoHUsETTs, ASSIGNOR, BY ivinsnnassieniunnrs,

* To ro n-w LL ABLn 00. 11m, A CORPORATION or MASSACHUSETTS IRONING TABLE COVER Application filed @ets'ber '21, 1931. Serial No. 570,169.

This invention relates to an improved cover for ironing-tables and particularly in the means for removably holding the cover on the table. In the prior patented art it is com mon to provide a cover whose edges turnover and under the table edge and to removably hold the cover edges by various types of spring devices. My improvement is in the particular means for applying spring tension to the cover edges whereby the desired effect in holding the cover is accomplished. This improvement will be clear from the accompanying drawing and description.

In the drawing,

Fig. 1 is a view of the bottom side of an ironing board as it appears with the cover and holding means applied thereto;

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the cover detached and apart from the board;

Fig. 3 is a section on line .33 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a detail veiw of the wedge portion of the board showing a modification at this portion; and

Fig. 5 shows a hook."

It will be understood that when a cover is applied to an ironing board, it is desirable to have it applied quickly and smoothly and held in place so that wrinkles do not develop while the ironing is going on. There is usually a soft pad on top of the board over which the cover is stretched. One end of the board is tapered or wedge-shaped at its end portion, and the other end is square. Thus the cover ordinarily needs to be put 011 with considerable care to have it smoth. Furthermore, it needs to be held'smooth.

To make the preferred form of my invention I take a cover 1 of the same general shape as is used for the conventional board.

Its outline is shown in Fig. 2. I turn over the edges of the cover and sew a tubular pocket 2 along the edges, as indicated in Fig. 3. This pocket is conveniently sewn all around the cover although this is not strictly necessary as only portions of the pocket are used. I then insert a series of straight rods 3 in different portions of the pocket. These rods are conveniently and cheaply made of wood with a round cross-section and with smooth slipping-the tapered end 7 over surface, and fit into the pocket with enough play to avoid binding or wrinkling. For the conventional ironing board I provide one rod for the rear edge portion, two rods for each side portion, and I may provide one red for each of the oppositely tapered portions, as indicated in Fig. 4:, or I may provide a pair of eyelets 5 instead of such portions at the tapered edges. The rods may be easilyslipped into place by cutting an open ing in the pocket at any point desired. When once pushed into place, end to end in the pocket, the rods 3 normally stay in place; I prefer to leave a space in the pockets, such as at 6, between the rods, sufficient to permit quite a little play in the cover at its edges between the rods, restrained only by the fabric. I consider this of some importance as it allows the fabric to adjust itself at important points, as I will point out. The small orv tapered end of the cover 7 isconveniently drawn into a'pocket by a tie string 8'threaded through the tubular edge, as indicated at that end, Fig. 4. 7 With the cover 1 prepared in this manner is conveniently applied to the board by the tapered From this end of the board 9, as an anchor. anchor the cover is the top of the board and the-rear end turned under the board. A tension spring 10, having one endv anchored at 11 on the the board With its free a hook, is then hooked over the beaded edge 3 at the rear. A. suitable hook for this purpose is shown in Fig. 4 and has a finger grip as well as a bead edge grip for convenient manipulation. The spring 10 has a suflicient tension to hold the lengthwise stretch ofthe cover. Independent transverse springs. 13 are then applied by similar hooks to each pair of oppositely arranged beaded edges or rods 3 along the side edges of the board and end 12 supplied with stretched lengthwise over.

underside of 7 preferably at about the center of the rods.

w an

spring 13 is connected to the cover by eyelets and in Fig. 4 by beaded edges, just to show some possible variations at this end of the board.

The transverse springs may be conveniently held to the under side of the board by U-shaped sheet metal retainer members 15 loosely fitting the springs. The construction described is whatI have made up for use with a conventional ironing boa'rd with folding legs which is to be used in the ordinary home. The principles of construction can be used with various detail changes; f

For example, it is not so important to have the stiffened bead ec ges along the tapered portion of the board as along its side and rear edges. I may use a couple of simple reinforced holes or eyelets to receive the forward spring13 at the tapered edges, as in Fig. 4.

The advantage of stiffening the edges of the cover by rods 3 as I have shown is that by a very sim le application of a few springs to such rods so placed, the smoothing tension is most eficiently applied all along the edges. hen the springs 13 draw the rods 3 inwardly, the rods themselves bend and adjust, and act to transfer the tension along their whole length to the cover to draw it in. The small wooden rods '3 being resilient themselves cooperate with the springs 13 in a nice manner for the purpose. Due to the spaces 6 between the rods, each one seems to draw in the cover independently of the other; the desirable difference between the work of each rod seems to be taken up by the fieXibility of the cloth between their ends to avoid any binding. y

In the manner described the desired result of smoothly and efficiently applying and holding the'cover to the board is attained. It is attained in a particularly convenient manner for use and by an" economical use of parts having a low cost.

hat I claim is: V 1

-1. Acloth cover for conventional ironing boards having in combination turned over edges sewed to the body of the cover to form tubular-pockets, a flexible wooden rod of small diameter in the pocket at the rear edge of the cover and a plurality of spaced and flexible wooden rods of small diameter in the pocket along each side edge of the cover with the cover left more flexible at the edges between the ends of said rods, the ends of the rod at the rear edge being'spaced slightly from the ends of the adjacent rods along the side edges, wherebythe cover may be drawn smoothly over an ironing board by pulling said rods inwardly.

2. The combination of an ironing board, a flexible cloth cover therefor, and springs normally carried by the underside of the board, said cover having turned over edges sewed to the body of the coverto form tubular pockets, a flexible wooden rod of small diameter in the pocket at the rear edge of the cover and a plurality of spaced and flexible wooden rods of small diameter in the pocket along each side edge of the cover with thecover left more flexible at the edges between the ends of said rods,fthe ends of the rod-at the rear edge being spaced slightly from the ends of the adjacent rods along the side edges, one of said springs mounted so as to removably grip the rod at the rear and draw it inwardly and one spring arranged for each oppositely arranged pair of rods along the side edges to removably engage and draw them toward one another and inwardly,;the engagement of said springs with each rodbeing at only one point spaced well from the ends of the rod engaged so that said ends may be left for adjusting movement of the cover edge in the spaces between the rods. 1 7' In testimony whereof signature. 7 on v GEORGEWV LEWIS.

I have aflixed my 

